After gritty battle over portfolio, Gujarat Deputy CM Nitin Patel emerges victorious

Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel

Nitin Patel, deputy chief minister of Gujarat, was handed over the finance ministry of the state, along with five other departments in the new Vijay Rupani government, which took oath on December 26^th.

Unlike in the last term, Patel had not been given finance and urban development portfolios in the current cabinet. In his place, Saurabh Patel had been assigned these two portfolios. To show his disapproval, Nitin Patel refused to take charge of the given departments after the swearing-in ceremony.

Trying to make the most out of this situation, Hardik Patel, leader of the Patidar movement, working with Indian National Congress, invited the BJP leader to join Congress and assured him that he would be given a suitable position in the ranks.

Amit Shah, BJP national president, defused the crisis by assuring Nitin Patel that he would get his desired portfolios, “to keep his respect intact and secure his number two position in the cabinet”, according to an NDTV report.

Saurabh Patel now remains to be the only leader in the present cabinet with only one department, i.e. energy.

Nitin Patel was named the Deputy chief minister in 2016. In 2001, the first and only portfolio Nitin Shah was given was the finance ministry. He was given this portfolio in 2012 as well. In 2002, he was made Minister of Revenue for the state.

In his consecutive terms, he has headed several other departments, including Irrigation, Water Supply, Urban Development Housing, Health, Medical Education, Family Welfare and Transport, Roads and Building and Capital Project, in the years 2007, 2012 and 2014. His main projects include constructions of roadways for better connectivity between cities of Gujarat.

In his early years, he was very active in the political sphere of Gujarat. He was elected Vice-President of Gujarat Nagarpalika Parishad and later, President of Mehsana District Bhartiya Janta Party.